Easter Cloche

So I looked up the spelling of cloche just to make sure I had it right. I did, but I also learned that a cloche could be a hat or a bell jar. As a child, I always wore an Easter hat. In fact, along with white gloves, it was a big part of the whole Easter outfit. 

Too young for gloves but not too young for candy!!

While I still see fabulous hats, I'm not confident that I can carry one off, so the cloche I'm talking about here is the glass variety. I'm crazy for cloches! I have several around the house that I am constantly changing with the seasons. Seashells in the summer, pinecones in the winter, ornaments at Christmas... Are you getting the idea? Today I decided to deck one out for Easter. I found these cute egg lights that were too cheap to pass up. A little plastic shredded grass and I was ready to start.

I took the lights out of the bag and removed the warning stickers because I didn't want to be able to see them.

Next, I put the cloche upside down in the corner of my sofa so that it was secure while I was filling it.

I put the first string of lights in making sure to leave the plug hanging out the top.

Next came some of the grass.

Keep alternating lights and grass until you have the cloche as full as you want it. I filled mine just slightly over half way which used 4 strands of lights and 2 bags of grass. Also, don't forget to leave the plug out for each strand.

Make sure you end with a grass layer because this will be the bottom when you turn your cloche over.

Now, turn the cloche over and add grass around the base on the outside to cover the plugs.

It's really cute! Here's what it looks like when it's not plugged in.

So here's the breakdown:

  • egg lights, $3 per strand and I used 4 for a total of $12.
  • grass .50 per bag and I used 3 for a total of $1.50.
  • I already had the cloche so my total price was $13.50.

Happy Easter!

I'll keep you posted...

Lynn

Twinkle Fairy Lights

I got an email from one of the coupon websites the other day that had a special on LED, solar powered, twinkle fairy lights. Twinkle fairy lights? How could I pass that up? I always seem to have a couple of places that need lights during the holidays but there isn't a plug nearby, so I thought these would be perfect. I ordered 2 strings of 200 lights in white, then waited for them to arrive. 

They got here the other day. 

The first thing I did was put them out in the sun to charge. Then I realized it was the middle of July and I had nothing I could do with them for several months. Or did I? 

I decided to try them out on the deck. First, I stuck the solar panel in a pot at the bottom of the deck.

Then I strung the lights at the base of the railing. There was just enough space to push the wire into and it wouldn't show, and the length was perfect to cover the  bottom railing all the way around the deck. I couldn't have planned it any better if I had tried!

If you didn't know they were there, you wouldn't know they were there. They are practically invisible. Next I just had to wait until it got dark out so I could see how I liked it. I do! 

My only disappointment is that I forgot how blue the white LEDs look, but that's just something I'll have to get used to seeing. Other than that, it's a nice little twinkle for the deck. 

Now, what to do with the second string?

I'll keep you posted... 

Lynn